Richard Goodman has been the Chargers' return man of choice the past two years.

To start this season, it will be someone else.

San Diego released the wide receiver Monday morning, making room to sign inside linebacker Reggie Walker, the Cardinals' special teams captain last season who agreed to a one-year contract Sunday. The move leaves five wide receivers on the roster.

Running back Fozzy Whittaker is expected to handle kick returns in Goodman's place. At Texas, Whittaker led the NCAA with a 42.4-yard return average on 10 attempts, with two touchdowns, before a knee injury ended his senior year.

Whittaker credited scheme for his production.

Goodman averaged 27.6 yards per return the past two years, fourth most in the NFL over that span. Whittaker said he's studied some of Goodman's technique this offseason and applied it into his own game.

Specifically, Goodman establishes a running start when fielding a kick.

"You might not really notice it if you're on the outside looking in," Whittaker said, "but taking a ball on the run rather than catching it at a standstill and having to start up makes a huge difference. I had a little trouble doing that. I usually catch it stationary. That's where I felt most comfortable. Seeing the way he was able to predict the trajectory of it, get under it while moving forward was something he put in my repertoire."